Delayed-action switch



Jan. 2, 1951 E. w. HOWARD DELAYED ACTION SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet l FiledNov. 13, 1946 JNVEN TOR.

Jan. 2, 1951 E. w. HOWARD DELAYED ACTION SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 13, 1946 la', gf

y INVENYOR.

By l JQW 'mgww Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICEDELAYED-ACTION SWITCH Earl W. Howard, Bay City, Mich. ApplicationNovember 13, 1946, Serial No. 709,573

(Cl. 20D-39) 8 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in delayed action switches andparticularly is directed to a delayed action switch of extremely compactconstruction which may be readily installed in the conventional outletboxes associated with wiring installation for residential and commercialbuildings.

It is an important object of the invention to incorporate a delayedaction mechanism in an electric wall switch which has a snap-likecircuit closing and circuit opening action, and in which the snap-likeopening or closing action is delayed after the switch operating handlehas been manually actuated.

Another object of the invention is a delayed action switch in which thecontact making member is delayed in its action by a gear train which iskept wound during the normal position of the switch and is permitted tounwind upon the actuation of a manually operable switch handle, wherebythe contact making member is actuated by a spring tensioned during thisactuation of the switch handle at the end of a predetermined period oftime to either close or open the electric circuit as the case may be.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent' or will be specificallypointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, butit is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiments of the invention herein described, as various forms may beadapted within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate by way of example one embodiment ofthe invention:

Fig. l is a side-elevational view of the action delay switch, with theparts shown in a position in which the switch handle has been moved to aposition to cause the delay action mechanism to unwind.

Fig. 2 is a horizontally sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a side-elevation view of the delay action switch, with theparts shown in their normal position in which the delay action mechanismis tensioned and locked against unwinding until the switch handle ismoved to the position shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the switch with the switch, the gear trainetc. omitted.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail view of the springactuated latch member.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, side-elevational view of the switch showing theposition of the parts after the delayed action mechanism has functioned.

Referring to the drawings, the base plate I of the switch has attachedto its upper face a frame comprising a vertical U-shaped end bracket 2provided on the upwardly directed ends of its legs with laterallvextending side walls 3. The latter are connected at their ends remotefrom the bracket 2 by an end wall 4 which is secured to the upper end ofan L-shaped bracket 5 secured to the base I opposite theend to which theU-shaped bracket 2 is secured. A switch handle 6 is xedly attached to aswitch operating yoke I which is pivotally mountzd about a horizontaltransverse point 8 extending through the center portion of the sidewalls 3. The two parallel arms 9 of the yoke 1 are spaced from eachother and are arranged with their free ends, which proiect downwardly,between the two side walls 3. Between each arm 9 and the adacent wall 3is arranged an arm II! of a U-shaoed switch control bracket II, which isalso rotatable about the pivot 8 independently of the yoke 1, butextends downwardly from the pivot 8. The yoke 'I is flexibly connectedwith the bracket II bv a helical spring I2. One end of this spring I2 isconnected to an eye I4 arranged on the base of the yoke 'l adjacent thehandle 6 and the other end of the spring I2 is attached to an eye I5arranged on the base of the bracket II, which last named base connectsthe lower ends of the bracket arms IIJ with each other. The arrangementof the spring I2 is such that it always tends to draw the bracket IIupwardly toward an angular position with respect to the yoke I. When thelatter is moved by the handle 6 toward and beyond a position in whichthe yoke arms 9 and the bracket arms I0 are in alinement with eachother, the tension of the spring I2 will be increased and the spring I2will cause the bracket I I to snap over to the other side of a straightline containing the pivot 8 and the alined arms 9 and II as soon as the"dead center position with respect to the pivot 8 is overcome. In Fig. 3the yoke 'I is tilted to the left hand side and the spring I2 urges thebracket II toward the left hand lower edge of the side wall 3. In Fig. 1the yoke l has been moved in clockwise direction to its right hand endposition and the spring I2 has moved the bracket I`I anti-clockwisetoward a position in which it has just passed the dead center positionand is prevented from further anti-clockwise rotation by a stop formedby an inwardly struck tongue l1 on the lower righthand edge of the sidewall 3. The rotative movement of the yoke 1 in both directions islimited by a stop pin I8 on the yoke arm 9 which pin I8 engages theupper horizontal edge of the side wall 3 in either end position.

A U -shaped contact carrying yoke 20 straddles the side walls 3 and thebracket Il from below and has its two legs 2| pivotally attached outsidethe side walls 3 to the transverse pivot 8. The outer face of each oneof the legs 2| has xedly secured thereto and electrically insulatedtherefrom a contact bar 24 having its two opposed contact making poles25, 26 arranged diametrically with respect to the pivot 8. The poles 25,26 are adapted to engage corresponding contact poles in an electriccircuit (not shown) for instance in the position shown in Fig. 3.

A tongue 28 extends laterally from the base of the U-shaped yoke 20 andhas attached to its free end 29 one end of a coiled tension spring 30the other end of which is attached to an eye 3i at the adjacent base ofthe bracket Il as particularly clearly shown in Fig. 1. A detent 33projecting downwardly from the base of the bracket ii is adapted toengage the right hand edge of the base of the contact carrying yoke 20when the spring 3D is permitted to exercise its function, as will bedescribed hereinafter.

A latch member 35 is pivotally mounted adjacent its upper end on a pivotpin 36 secured to the side wall 3 adjacent the end wall 4. A torsionspring 31 surrounding the pivot pin 35 and anchored to the latch member35 urges the latter in anti-clockwise direction in which a notch 38 isnormally held in engagement with a detent ledge 39 provided on the baseof the contact carrying yoke 20. The latch member 35 retains the yoke 20in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the switch handle 6 and itsassociated yoke l and control bracket Il is moved to the position shownin Fig. l and not until the latch member 35 is actuated by the delayedaction mechanism, about to be described, will the contact carrying yoke2U be released in order to be pulled by the tensioned spring 30 into aposition in which the contact bar 24 is tilted into the oppositelyinclined position from that shown in the Figs. 1 and 3.

The delayed action mechanism consists essentially of a gear traindesignated as a whole at 40 and which is wound by the switch handle 6when the latter is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown pin Fig. 3 and is automatically permitted to unwind assoon as the switch lever 6 has been moved to the position shown in Fig.l. A link 4| is pivotally attached with one end at 42 to one arm 9 ofthe yoke 1 and with its other end at 43 to a lever 44 pivotallysupported on a pin 45 traversing the side walls 3 adjacent the bracket2. The pin 45 also supports pivotally a downwardly extending operatingbar 45; also mounted on the pin 45 is a link 41 having an angularly bentportion which is connected with a similarly angularly bent portion 48 ofthe lever 44 by a screw 49 passing freely through an aperture in theportion 48 and having threaded engagement with a threaded aperture inthe angularly bent portion 41. A shoulder on the opposite end of thelink 41 provides a break link abutment for the operating bar 45. A coilspring 50 surrounds the screw 49 between the lever portions 41 and 48.The lower end of the operating bar 46 has rotatably secured thereto apin I having a diametrical bore through its head for receiving one endoi a connecting rod 52 the other end of which is similarly secured in adiametrical bore of a headed pin 54 rotatably secured to the outer endof a cam-carrying crank arm 55. The latter is secured to the main shaft5S of the gear train 40 which projects through the base i. A spring 51attached with one end to an eye 53 on the base i and with its other endto an eye 58 on the crank arm 55 urges the latter constantly inclockwise direction. The ot'er end of the crankv arm 55 carries a cam 60adapted to engage the lower end oi' the latch member 35 to rotate thesame in clockwise direction against the action of the spring 31. Whenthis occurs the latch member 35 releases the contact carrying yoke 20and the latter moves under the action of the previously tensioned spring30 with a snap-like action into a circuit opening position, if theprevious position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 should be one in which theelectric circuit controlled by the switch is closed. The movement of theyoke 20 is limited by the detent 33 on the base of the bracket li andthe latter, as mentioned previously is held in the position shown inFig. 1 until the switch handle 6 is again returned to its initialposition shown in Fig. 3.

The delay or time interval which elapses between the time the switchhandle 6 has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, which is theposition in which the gear train winding mechanism 4i to 55 permits anunwinding of the gear train, and the time the latch member 35 is trippedby the cam 68 depends, of course, upon the particular construction ofthe gear train and may be varied for diierent applications of theswitch.

During the return of the switch handle 6 to its initial position shownin Fig. 3 the gear train winding mechanism 4i to 55 is operated torewind the gear train 4D and at the same time the spring l2 returns thebracket Ii to the position shown in Fig. 3 with a snap-like action assoon as the yoke 1 has passed the dead center position with respect tothe bracket ii. During this snap-like return movement of the bracket ilits detent 33 strikes the base of the contact carrying yoke 20 and thelatter returns also to its initial position shown in Fig. 3 in which itsledge 39 enters the notch 38 of the latch member 35. The switch is nowready for another operation.

What I claim is:

1. In a delayed action switch, a switch housing adapted for wallmounting, a pivotally mounted switch handle pivoted to said housing, abracket pivotally mounted about the same pivot axis as said handle andextending in the opposite direction of the same, a tension springattached to said handle and bracket respectively, to move said bracketto an angular position with said handle whenever the latter is movedbeyond alinement with said bracket, a contact carrying yoke straddlingsaid bracket and rotatable about the pivot of the latter, spring meansconnecting said bracket and yoke, said bracket being movable to swingsaid yoke to a normal latched position latch means engageable with saidcontact carrying yoke for holding said yoke in its normal latchedposition when said bracket is rotated away from said latch means to itsoppositely arranged angular position with respect to said switch handleupon operation of the latter, yieldingly operated cam means for trippingsaid latch, and action delay means for said cam means operativelyconnected with said handle and adapted to become effective uponactuation of said handle to release said cam means after a predeterminedperiod of time, whereupon said contact carrying yoke is caused to rotateunder the influence of the spring means connecting the latter with saidbracket.

2. In a delayed action switch, a frame adapted for mounting in a wall, aswitch handle pivotally Amounted in said frame, means for limiting therotative movement of said handle in both directions with respect to saidframe, a bracket pivotally mounted about the same axis as said handlebut extending in the opposite direction, a spring attached to saidhandle and bracket respectively, to move the bracket from one angularposition on one side of said handle to another angular position on theother side of the handle whenever the latter is moved from one of itsend positions to the other, stop means on said frame for limiting therotative movement of said bracket with respect to said handle, a contactcarrying yoke straddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot ofthe latter, spring means connecting said bracket and yoke, latch meansfor holding said contact carrying yoke in its normal latched positionwhen said bracket is rotated away from said latch means to itsoppositely arranged angular position with respect to said -switch handleupon operation of the latter, means for tripping said latch meansyieldingly urged toward the latch means, and clock train mechanism toprovide a delayed action for said latch tripping means operativelyconnected with said handle and adapted to become effective uponactuation of said handle to release said tripping means and trip saidlatch means after a predetermined period of time, whereupon said contactcarrying yoke is caused to rotate under the iniluence of the springmeans connecting the latter with said bracket.

3. In a delayed action switch, a frame adapted to be mounted in a wall,a switch handle pivotally mounted in said frame, means for limiting therotative movement of said handle in both directions With respect to saidframe, a bracket pivotally mounted about the same axis as said handlebut extending in the opposite direction, a spring attached to saidhandle and bracket respectively, to move the bracket from one angularposition on one side of said handle to another angular position on theother side of the handle whenever the latter is moved from one of itsend positions to the other, stop means on said frame for limiting therotative movement of said bracket with respect to said handle, a contactcarrying yoke straddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot ofthe latter, spring means connecting said bracket and yoke, a latch leverpivotally mounted on said frame for holding said contact carrying yokein its normal initial latched position when said bracket is rotated awayfrom said latch lever to its oppositely arranged angular position withrespect to said switch handle upon operation of the latter, and clocktrain mechanism providing delay action means supported by said frame andincluding a rotatable cam yieldingly urged into engagement with saidlatch means and adapted to actuate said latch lever after apredetermined period of time and thereby cause a release of said contactcarrying yoke which under the inuence of said spring means connectingthe latter with said bracket rotates with a snap-like action toward saidbracket means said clock train mechanism being operable to retardmovement of said cam in a direction toward said latch.

' ly urged in a direction to actuate said latch 4. In a delayed actionswitch. a frame adapted for wall mounting, a switch handle pivotallymounted in said frame, means for limiting the rotative movement of saidhandle in both directions with respect to said frame, a bracketpivotally mounted about the same axis as said handle but extending inthe opposite direction, a spring attached to said handle and bracketrespectively, to move the bracket from one angular position on one sideof said handle to another angular position on the other side of thehandle whenever the latter is moved from one of its end positions to theother, stop means on said frame for limiting the rotative movement ofsaid bracket with respect to said handle, a contact carrying yokestraddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot of the latter,spring means connecting said bracket and yoke, a latch lever pivotallymounted on said frame for holding said contact carrying yoke in itsnormal initial latched position when said bracket is rotated to itsoppositely arranged angular position with respect to said switch handleupon operation of the latter, a cam yieldingly urged in a direction totrip said latch lever, clock train action delay means for retardingmovement of said cam, said action delay means being operativelyconnected with said handle to restore the latch tripping cam to anon-operative position upon movement of said handle to a switch closingposition, said clock train action delay means being operable to permittripping of said latch after the handle is operated a predeterminedperiod of time.

5. In a delayed action switch, a wall mounting frame, a switch hand epivotally mounted in said frame, means for limit'ng the rotativemovement of said handle in both directions with respect to said frame, abracket pivotaly mounted about the same axis as said handle butextending in the opposite directon, a spring attached to said handle andbracket respectively, to move the bracket from one angular position onone side of said handle to another angular position on the other side ofthe handle whenever the latter is moved from one of its end positions tothe other, stop means on said frame for limiting the rotative movementof said bracket with respect to said handle, a contact carrying yokestraddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot of the latter,spring means connecting said bracket and yoke, a latch lever pivotallymounted on said frame for holding said contact carrying yoke in itsnormal initial latched position when said bracket is rotated away fromsaid latch lever to its oppositely arranged angular posit'on withrespect to said switch handle upon operation of the latter, and actiondelay means including a train of gears supported by said frame, anoperative connection between said handle and sad train of gears forrestoring said action relay means when the handle is in one of its endpositions and for permitting said train of gears to unwind upon movementof said handle to its other end position, and a rotatable camyieldinglever after a predetermined period of time and thereby cause arelease of said contact carrying yoke which under the influence of saidspring means connecting the latter with said bracket rotates with asnap-like action toward said bracket means, said delay action meansbeing arranged to retard operation of said cam in a direction of latchtripping movement.

6. In a delayed action switch, a pivotally mounted switch handle, abracket pivotally aosases 7 mounted about the same pivot axis as saidhandle and extending in the opposite direction of the same, a tensionspring attached to said handle and bracket respectively, to move saidbracket to an angular position with said handle whenever the latter ismoved beyond alinement with said bracket, a contact carrying yokestraddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot of the latter,spring means connecting said bracket and yoke, latch means for holdingsaid contact carrying yoke in its normal initial latched position whensaid bracket is rotated away from said latch means to its oppositelyarranged angular position with respect to said switch handle uponoperation of the latter, and action delay means including a train ofgears, an operative connection between said handle. and said train ofgears for restoring said action delay means when the handle is in one ofits end positions and for permitting said train of gears to unwind uponmovement of said handle to its other end position, and a rotatable cam,yielding spring means for urging said cam in a direction to engage andtrip said latch means after a predetermined period of time and therebycause a release of said contact carrying yoke which under the influenceof said spring means connecting the latter with said bracket rotateswith a snap-like action toward said bracket means.

7. In a delayed action switch, a frame, a switch handle pivotallymounted in said frame, means for limiting the rotative movement of saidhandle in both directions with respect to said frame, a bracketpivotally mounted about the same axis as said handle but extending inthe opposite direction, a spring attached to said handle and bracketrespectively, to move the bracket from one angular position on one sideof said handle to another angular position on the other side of thehandle whenever the latter is moved from one of its end positions to theother, stop means on said frame for limiting the rotative movement ofsaid bracket with respect to said handle, a contact carrying yokestraddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot of the latter, acontact bar attached to said yoke with its opposite contact making endsarranged diametrically opposite of the pivot axis of said yoke, a detenton said bracket, spring means for urging the detent on said bracket inengagement with said yoke, latch means for holding said contact carryingyoke in its latched position when said bracket is rotated away from saidlatch means to its oppositely arranged angular position with respect tosaid switch handle uponoperation of the latter, yielding trip meansurged into engagement with said latch means, and clock train mechanismfor retarding movement of said trip means in a direction of latchtripping movement, said clock train mechanism being operativelyconnected with said handle and adapted to become effective uponactuation of said handle to release said trip means to actuafe saidlatch means after a predetermined period of time, whereupon said contactcarrying yoke is caused to rotate under the influence ot said springmeans until said yoke engages said detent on said bracket.

8. In a delayed action switch, a frame, a switch handle pivotallymounted in said frame, means for limiting the rotative movement of saidhandle in both directions with respect to said frame, a bracketpivotally mounted about the same axis as said handle but extending inthe opposite direction, a spring attached to said handle and bracketrespectively, to move the bracket from one angular position on one sideof said handle to another angular position on the other side of thehandle whenever the latter is moved from one of its end positions to theother, stop means on said frame for limiting the rotative movement ofsaid bracket with respect to said handle, a contact carrying yokestraddling said bracket and rotatable about the pivot of the latter, acontact bar attached to said yoke with its opposite contact making endsarranged diametrically cpposite of the pivot axis of said yoke, springmeans connecting said bracket and yoke, means on said bracket forlimiting rotative movement of said yoke with respect to said bracketunder the action of said spring means, a latch lever pivotally mountedon said frame for preventing rotation of said contact carrying yoke whensaid bracket is rotated to one ofA its end positions opposite said latchupon operation of the handle in a corresponding direction, clock trainmechanism operatively connected with said handle and including arotatable cam adapted to actuate said latch lever after a predeterminedperiod of time and thereby cause a release of said contact carrying yokewhich under the inuence of said spring means connecting the latter withsaid bracket rotates with a snap-like action toward said bracket means,said cam being yieldingly urged in a direction of latch trippingmovement and retarded from latch tripping engagement by said actiondelay means.

EARL W. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,933,249 Frederica Oct. 3l, 19331,996,173 Rhodes Apr. 2, 1935 2,056,193 Hubbell, Jr. Oct. 6, 19362,112,422 McCullough et al. Mar. 29, 1938 2,240,189 Linde et al. Apr.29, 1941

